Drought

A Christmas tree farm in Marcus, Iowa lost about 220 trees to drought this summer. The bottom part of the trees were green, while the top portion was entirely brown and completely dead. Trees that did not die were still stunted for lack of moisture. To have trees to sell this season, the owners purchased 180 Scotch Pine trees from northern Wisconsin. Siouxland Matters (Sioux City, Iowa), Nov 29, 2022

A Georgia peach grower was irrigating his trees in an effort to make up for the lack of rainwater this year. WALB-TV NBC 10 Albany (Ga.), Nov 28, 2022

Fishermen on the Yazoo Canal north of Vicksburg found an old tugboat half exposed by low waters. Because wooden vessels cannot be salvaged after long periods of use, many were disposed of by abandoning them along the river bank. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (Atlanta, Ga.), Nov 29, 2022

A winter wheat grower in Andale in Sedgwick County stated that there was not enough soil moisture to germinate the wheat and get it growing. He planted later than usual, so the wheat is smaller than he would like. KWCH 12 (Wichita, Kan.), Nov 29, 2022

Cape Girardeau in southeastern Missouri has seen an uptick in water main breaks, due to drought. Through October, 51 water mains have broken in the city, an increase of more than 25% from all of 2021. The ground shifts and contracts as it dries out, causing the damage. Southeast Missourian (Cape Girardeau, Mo.), Nov 25, 2022

California cities and industrial users were warned by the US Bureau of Reclamation to prepare for a fourth dry year with possible "conservation actions" as drought persists despite early rains. Water storage was near historic lows, with Shasta Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the Central Valley Project, was at 31% of capacity. The rainy season generally begins in October and runs through March or April. Reuters (New York), Nov 28, 2022

The Cheyenne Bottoms wetlands was dry, leaving migratory birds to visit the sewage lagoons at a nearby town. smaller birds have gone to livestock water tanks for water. High Plains Public Radio (Garden City, Kan.), Nov 25, 2022

The owner of the La Crosse cattle auction stated that 12,000 more cattle than usual, or nearly 20% more, have been sold at auction this year than by this time in 2021. With the uptick in cattle sales, the auction owner began offering sales weekly rather than every two weeks. High Plains Public Radio (Garden City, Kan.), Nov 25, 2022

Drought and heat have caused plenty of trouble in Kansas this year. A rancher in Lane County asserted that his grass never turned green this summer, forcing him to buy hay for his cattle. Hay prices have been high since it hasn’t been growing well amid the drought. He sold 52 calves at the La Crosse Livestock Market. Another Lane County rancher reported that precipitation was less than half of normal on his ranch this year. He sold his calves in August. Parts of his pasture received no rain at all. Even the cactuses have died. High Plains Public Radio (Garden City, Kan.), Nov 25, 2022

A Christmas tree farm in North Andover opened to customers, but many of the trees were brown and had bare spots after a summer of drought. The tree farm was open for a day before the owner closed for the season. The farm still has a lot of pre-cut trees from Quebec where rainfall was adequate, producing healthier trees. Trees cost a little more this year. WCVB-TV ABC 5 Boston (Mass.), Nov 28, 2022

Gov. Mike Parson issued an executive order on Nov. 28 to extend Missouri’s drought alert until March 1, 2023, to deal with issues outlined by the state’s Drought Assessment Committee. The original drought alert was declared on July 21 and was to expire on Dec. 1. ABC 17 News (Columbia, Mo.), Nov 28, 2022 The executive order that Gov. Mike Parson signed to create the Drought Assessment Committee is set to expire on December 1. Members voted for extending the order into 2023. KFVS12 (Cape Girardeau, Mo.), Nov 11, 2022 Missouri Governor Mike Parson issued an executive order urging the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to activate the Drought Assessment Committee and the related drought impact teams. The order places 53 counties in the central and southern parts of the state in a drought alert, including Barry, Barton, Boone, Butler, Camden, Carter, Cedar, Christian, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Gasconade, Greene, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Maries, McDonald, Miller, Mississippi, Moniteau, New Madrid, Newton, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Pettis, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Stone, Taney, Texas, Wayne, Webster and Wright. KHQA-TV (Quincy, Ill.), July 21, 2022

Grain shipments on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway were around 25 percent ahead of 2021, partially due to drought conditions on the Mississippi River and Russia’s war in Ukraine. Through October, Great Lakes ports shipped 934,000 metric tons of grain on the Seaway, about 25% more than at the same time in 2021, with shipments bound for an estimated 18 countries. Superior Telegram (Duluth, Minn.), Nov 21, 2022

The summer drought in the Northeast was hard on Christmas tree growers, leading some to limit the number of trees available or stay closed this holiday season. One Tiverton tree farmer was not opening, due to drought damage and being unable to source trees from elsewhere. His trees were green six weeks ago, but have since become discolored and were suffering from a mite called cryptomeria scale. Tree farms in Scituate and South Kingstown were also not opening this year. Other tree farms were opening, but were offering fewer trees. WPRI.com (Providence, R.I.), Nov 23, 2022

Dust pneumonia continued to be a problem for Nebraska livestock, due to dry, dusty, windy conditions. Young calves are often most affected, and the lung scarring from the illness is permanent. AgUpdate (Tekamah, Neb.), Nov 23, 2022

The Christmas tree farm near Lennox has received very little rain since early summer so the trees lacked the moisture to allow them to grow as tall as usual in a season. While the farm might typically have seven feet tall trees for sale, those may be scarce this year with trees being perhaps just six feet in height. The lack of rain was also very hard on the newly planted trees. Customers are urged to give the trees plenty of water and care after the dry growing season. Valley News Live (Fargo, N.D.), Nov 22, 2022

Strong winds, dry fuel and very dry air have combined to cause multiple brush fires in Hawaii with leeward areas most affected. KHON-TV FOX 2 (Honolulu, Hawaii), Nov 21, 2022

Navigation difficulties on the Mississippi River extend up to St. Louis as the flows were reduced on the Missouri River on Nov. 19. Dredging operations were underway around St. Louis to keep a navigation channel open. Although barge movements were slow, grain terminals in the New Orleans area reported a 35% increase in barges that were unloaded, compared to the previous week. Spot barge rates have fallen from $110 per metric ton in October to about $40 per metric ton. The rate was $20 per ton for much of the year. The high barge rate meant that some producers were receiving $2 less per bushel for corn and soybeans, according to Brad Rippey, a meteorologist at the USDA Office of Chief Economist. In October, barge movements on the Mississippi River slowed from a three-year average of 700 barges down to closer to 150 barges. Tonnage fell from 1 million metric tons a week down closer to 150,000 metric tons. At the end of November, the drawdown on the Missouri River will cause the level of the Mississippi River to drop about 3 feet at St. Louis. Combined, corn and soybean shipments on the river systems, including the Illinois and Ohio rivers, for 2022 are just over 26 million metric tons, down about 12.5% from the same year-to-date in 2021. Total grain export inspections at the Mississippi Gulf equal about 95% of last year's volume, according to USDA. Corn, soybeans and wheat total 55.17 mmt in the Mississippi Gulf, compared to 57.85 mmt last year. DTN – The Progressive Farmer (Burnsville, Minn.), Nov 18, 2022

Christmas tree farmers in Arkansas had to work hard irrigating trees to keep their trees alive. One tree grower watered day and night for over two months. Two other tree growers lost seedlings, so this year’s drought may be felt in subsequent years. Tree buyers are cautioned not to leave their tree up for more than a month, as the trees are drier than usual. KFSM-TV CBS 5 Fort Smith (Ark.), Nov 21, 2022

Sweetwater Authority began transferring water from Loveland Reservoir near Alpine on Nov. 15 to the Sweetwater Reservoir south of Spring Valley. The draining has meant a pause to fishing access at Loveland and fishermen worry that continued draining will permanently end fishing in the region. The water in the Sweetwater Reservoir will be treated by Sweetwater Authority for its 200,000 customers in Bonita, Chula Vista and National City. Transferring water to the Sweetwater Reservoir is less expensive than purchasing water from the San Diego County Water Authority. The San Diego Union-Tribune (Calif.), Nov 19, 2022

Historic drought in the Central Plains reduced yields to the lowest since the hybridization of the crop, according to the Chairmen of National Sorghum Producers. November’s sorghum production fell nearly 9 million bushels from October to 235.8 million as listed in the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture report. BrownfieldOnline (Jefferson City, Mo.), Nov 21, 2022